Means for creating a vacuum.



No. 845,671. PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907. P. H. THOMAS.

MEANS FOR CREATING A'VAGUUM. uruonxon FILED JUNE 14. 1904.

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' To all whom it may concern.

solid state, means -on these gases or some elements or ingredi- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY I-I. THOMAS, OF EAST ORANGE,

- OF NEW YORK.

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO COOPER HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION MEANS FOR CREATING A VACUUM- Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed June IQIQOL' Serial No. 212.477.

Be it known that I, PERCY ,H. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Orange. county of Essex, State of'New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Creating a Vacuum, of which the following is a specification.

It is known that some materials, such as aluminium, which are not acted upon by air or other gases in their solid state will react ents thereof when dissolved in mercury. In other words, the capacity for reacting upon the elements of air or other gases is induced by a change of condition in the selected material. I propose to utilize this quality as a means of improving the vacuum of electric or other devices containing mercury.

The invention is particularly applicable to mercury-vapor electric apparatus, although it is also applicable to devices of any sort in which a high vacuum is desirable.

Should the invention be applied to apparatus other than mercury electric apparatus, the mercury may be added to the container or vessel which is to be exhausted solely for the purpose of producing such a change of state or condition in the material which is relied upon for the required reaction as will assist in the production of the desired degree of vacuum.

- For convenience I selectaluminium as the material to be employed, and I show this substance as being inclosed within the container of a mercury-vapor electric lamp, the conditions being such that the aluminium as it is located inside the container is in a natural or 'cury-vapor lamp,

' any suitable means.

being provided, however, for tilting the apparatus so as to bring the mercury and the aluminium into contact for producing an amalgam. In the amalgamated state the aluminium then reacts with the gases remaining in the container and completes the process of exhaustion by absorbing the gases or certain elements thereof.

The original exhaustion "of the chamber may be accomplished by any approved or suitable means and may be carried to as high a degree as is possible by such means. The final step in the process consists-in ermitting the aluminium or other selecte mate-- rial after amalgamation to react uponthe injurious gases still left within the container,

so as to absorb a greater or smallerportion thereof and improve the original vacuum.

The drawing illustrates an apparatus which can be utilized for the purpose indicated.

In the drawing, 1 is the container of a merand 2 and 3 are respectively the positive and negative electrodes thereof. The apparatus thus constituted may be exhausted through the exit-tube 4 by When the exhaustion has been carried to the usual degree of vacuum by such means, the tube 4 may be sealed 0K in the usual way. I

.I locate near the negative electrode 3 a piece 5 of aluminium or other suitable materlal, and I'complete the exhaustion begun as described above by ti ping the lamp, so as to bring the mercury o the electrode 3 into contact with the piece 5. An amal amation of the-piece 5 then takes place, whereupon the aluminium or other material is brought into a condition where it united with the elements of the injurious gases and carries still further the exhaustion of the apparatus as regards the removal of such superfluous gases.

Other ways for causing an amalgamation of the selected material may obvlously be utilized, the method described being chosen sim ly by way of illustration.

hile I have mentioned aluminium as the material which may be combined with the mercur for the purposes indicated, yet I do not Wis to limit myself to the use of this material alone, having found that other materials, notably magnesium, are well suited to accomplish the objects of the invention. In the case of magnesium this material has the property of absorbing not only the oxygen remaining in the container, but also the nitrogen.

claim as my invention- 1. The method of creating a high vacuum in an inclosed chamber containing mercury, which consists in inclosing in the said chamber a material capable o forming a gas-absorbing amalgam with mercurygbseparating it from the mercury in the charm -r, exhausting the chamber by any approved process, and afterward bringing the said material into contact with the mercury and causing an amalgamation thereof.

2. In aninclosed chamber containing the!- approved process, sealing off the chamber,

and afterward absorbing a portion of the superfluous gases in the chamber by causing I the formation of the gas-absorbing amalgam and by passing current throu h the chamber and the materlals contained therein.

] Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 10th day of June, A. D. 1904.

PERCY H. THOMAS.

cury, the method of creating a high vacuum, which consists in inclosing within thechamher a material capable of forming a gas-absorbing amalgam with the mercury, exhausting the chamber by any ap roved process, sealing off the chamber, and afterward absorbing a portion of the superfluous gases in the chamber by causing the formation of the gas-absorbing amalgam.

3. In an inclosed chamber containing mercury, the method of creating a high vacuum, I which consists in inclosing within the chamher a material capable of amalgamation with l the mercury, exhausting the chamber by any I Witnesses:

WM. H, CAPEL, GEORGE H. STOQKBRIDGE. 

